EXCLUSIVE: After Disney’s new version Alice in Wonderland turned in a 3D record breaking opening weekend of $116 million and became a global juggernaut, there has been a resurgence of movie interest in timeless classics. For instance, there is a stampede for public domain literary properties like The Wizard of Oz, andWarner Bros is mulling a new version. Universal Pictures is trying to figure out when to unveil a movie version of the stage musical smash Wicked. Now Disney has made a 7-figure pitch deal for Cinderella, the working title of a live action reimagining of the classic fairy tale to be written by Aline Brosh McKenna. She’s the scribe behind The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses, and the upcoming Paramount comedy Morning Glory, and We Bought a Zoo, the Fox comedy which Cameron Crowe will direct–with Fox just setting a December 23, 2011 release date.

Simon Kinberg will produce the new version of Cinderella. The deal is the first that CAA has made for Brosh McKenna since signing her in March. Disney, of course, made the 1950 animated classic Cinderella, and, though the project was shopped around town, it fit the Rich Ross/Disney branded family film mandate like, well, a glass slipper. Being kept under wraps is whether the film will be 3D, or whether there’ll be deviations from the original Cinderella story. That Cinderella storyline isn’t virgin territory: in recent years, Fox used the concept for the Drew Barrymore-starrer Ever After and Warner Bros used it for the Hilary Duff-starrer A Cinderella Story.

Brosh McKenna and Kinberg began working together on a production rewrite on Date Night, and liked the experience enough to make a $2 million deal last fall for an untitled pitch they are writing for Paramount and Bad Robot partners JJ Abrams and Bryan Burk.

Sounds like a me-too 3-D move. Likely to be an expensive flop. The better move would have been to recognize what Disney does well: A. Princess fantasies, and B. Make money off merchandising/licensing.

A Cinderella film would probably be smart, just updated, ANIMATED, and with a killer script.

Why? Animation can keep the cost down. It also allows merchandisable characters. The equivalent of “Up” and the talking dog, and the bird. Which you can sell to little girls parents at a heavy markup.

Because, sadly, movie making is not where the money is at. Hollywood is not able to make broadly appealing movies (men/women, young/old) cheap enough to make money, most of the time. The studios and Disney in particular depend on niches and lots of high-margin stuff like licensing and merchandising, ala Star Wars.

A live-action film is riskier because to create a “merchandising” character for little girls, you get into expensive CGI. Costs go way up. After all, animation allows investment in technology to continually drop production prices. All you need is voice actors. You can get cheaper every technical iteration.

Do you have any idea what you’re talking about or are you just trying to sound like you work in the industry so that you can impress the Starbucks barrista you’re trying to bang with your understanding of the movie business?

Do you know how much films like ‘Up’, “How to Train Your Dragon”, “Shrek 4″ etc., cost to make? Or how much they cost to market? Do you really think all you need is “voice actors”? Do you have any idea how many people it takes to make an animated feature? Do you even realize that all the current high-end studio animated features are entirely CGI.

Here’s a word of advice, drink decafe and next time you think about posting authoritatively about a subject you clearly don’t understand anything about, don’t. It only makes you sound stupid.

Tony R • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Comment by what the? You are absolutely right. As soon as I started reading that post about why a Cinderella 3d story would be a flop I thought “Yeah, right.” Totally out of no where. It is just to hard to know if a movie idea would be a flop or not. Totally depends on the end produce and marketing, but mostly the end produce. Take the last Star Trek movie in 2009. Most people I’m sure where like “Oh right, another star trek movie when the news first came out.” I would never have thought another star trek movie would be that great. Then the reviews came out and it was like a flood. So many people loved that movie, it just really struck a cord with the population in general. Who would have thought. Saw it, was impressed.

Don't Like Pretension • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Never cared for it when people think they deserve to be referred to by three names (not referring to hyphenated first or last names, which are more acceptable).

Unless your name is Jack Smith or there’s another more famous person in your field with the same name, we don’t need to know your middle name and you shouldn’t expect us to use it.

whatever • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Actually Brosh Mckenna is not a middle and last name. It’s her maiden name plus her married name. She just doesn’t hyphenate.

Anthony • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Last time I checked, that was her f–king business.

Fan of Aline • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Good for her! She’s smart and talented and delivered on Devil Wears Prada.
27 Dresses was a typical mess but I blame the crappy producers.
But it’s nice to see a female screenwriter get paid what the guys are paid. Are somewhat lower but close to men who have had that many movies greenlit and made as much dough as hers have world wide.

kenmandu • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

I have a script for a 3-D version of Rapunzel if anyone’s interested…!

3-D Version? • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

3-D Version? Does anyone actually write a 3-D version of anything? Maybe I’m wrong, but I wouldn’t think there is really any noticeable difference between a 2-D and 3-D version if a script. I think that’s more in the director/producer wheelhouse just as you don’t usually describe shots in a script.

She wrote the hideous 27 Dresses and the almost-as-hideous Laws of Attraction. I don’t get how this woman has a career.

Um, Seriously? • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Really, “Fan of Aline?” You have no clue what’re you talking about. D. Frankel had to have “Devil Wears Prada” re-written completely! Everyone knows this. Everyone also knows she’s a hack and has to work with “other writers” to get the deal done. Take a look at what she’s “sold” recently. Granted, it’s a lot but it’s usually with someone else attached to do the actual writing. Glad she’s making money if that’s the best that can be said with someone as marginally talented as her burning up the town. Seriously, people! The commenters here must know this to be true!

Jackie Venice • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Another example on why you need just the right agent.

All Hat No Cattle • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

@pretension.

Really? You don’t like her “name”? There are so many talented people in the world and you’re really going to throw down on someone who chooses to use more than two names?

You sir, are a loser.

MrJeff • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Not Snow White first?

You’d like those dwarves just scream for CGI.

anotheralinefan • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Um, Seriously… get your facts straight. She was the last writer on DEVIL WEARS PRADA and her draft got it greenlit and she stayed on until the very end.

Sad that some people can’t be supportive of a hard-working writer who’s earned her success and is paving the way (financially and otherwise) for other female screenwriters and female-driven movies.

Peter Hedges • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

In response to Um, Seriously —

As the first writer to work on DEVIL WEARS PRADA, I can tell you that Aline is not a hack — she delivered in every way. She is not a marginal talent. Far from it. I don’t know her, never met her. But I’m happy for her success. It’s well deserved.

CaptainCaveman • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

If they’re so interested in 3D features – why don’t they make a movie of Roaches???
That was the coolest script around town in years (possibly decades).

This Is What I Think • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Don’t delude yourself “anotheralinefan.” Aline Brosh McKenna isn’t paving the way for anyone but A-list screenwriters like herself. The sad part of all this is that the studios are so scared to take a chance on a younger, unproven, yet probably supremely talented writer that they fall all over themselves to throw millions at her. The more big deals like this the less likely it is for a newish writer to get a break. The day Nikki reports that WB just bought 10 scripts for scale from 10 unknowns…that’s a good day for writers.

Karl • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Enough already with her being a woman and paving the way for women. Who is she Dorothy Dandridge? Hollywood does not care if you are red, black, white, green, man or woman. If you have talent or are viewed as being talented, you will find work in Hollywood. Chairwomen are in charge at Sony, DreamWorks, MGM, and Universal. Fox, Fox 2000, Lionsgate, Universal, Fox Searchlight and CBS all have women in the post of president of production. To suggest that women dont get a fair shake in hollywood is insane.

c4x • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Replace every mention of “having talent” with “making money” and you’re totally right.

AD • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

So pitching a live action Cinderalla to Disney nets you seven figures? My pitch is a CGI animated Prince Of Tides.

Jenn • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

AIW opened the floodgates for Disney to raid their vaults and go make hundreds of classics into live action 3D, Imax screening juggernaughts. They will make them all. PATC is even going to be in 3D. Why not get double the ticket price for the same crap? If the audiences continue to be mindless idiots, we’ll have a whole decade with this. The fact that the Twilight films and Miley Cyrus do so well should tell you that this Cinderella film will most likely be a hit.

s.a. • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Peggy, your comments were hilarious!

Flapjack • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Hollywood already did a live action version of Cinderella. It was called “Ever After” with Drew Barrymore and Angelica Houston. But that’s Disney for you…not satisfied until they squeeze every drop of blood out of the stones they possess.

KF • on May 17, 2010 11:09 am

Except that Ever After was released by Fox, and this will be released by Disney…